Hosta plant named ‘Diamonds Are Forever’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct  Hosta  plant named ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ with small, compact, mound habit, small elliptic to cordate leaves with dark green centers and wide creamy white margins that develop into a white. Numerous purple striped flowers are held attractively above foliage in mid-summer.

Botanical classification: Hosta hybrid (Tratt.).

Variety denomination: ‘Diamonds Are Forever’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct Hosta plant, Hosta ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ discovered by Eric M. Sal at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA in the summer of 2009 as an uninduced whole plant mutation in a tissue cultured crop of Hosta ‘Diamond Tiara’ (not patented). The new plant has been successfully asexually propagated both by division and by tissue culture at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. and in both asexual propagation systems found to be stable and produce identical plants that maintain the unique characteristics of the original plant.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Hosta ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ differs from its parent, ‘Diamond Tiara’, as well as all other Hostas known to the applicant. There are over 5,000 Hosta cultivars registered with the American Hosta Society, which is the registrar for the genus Hosta. There is a similar number of about 5,000 unregistered cultivars. Hosta ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ is a mutation from Hosta ‘Diamonds Tiara’. Hosta ‘Diamond Tiara’ is a mutation from Hosta ‘Golden Tiara’ along with many other sports and mutations from the Tiara Group including: ‘Amber Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Crystal Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Emerald Scepter’ (not patented), ‘Emerald Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Gilded Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Grand Prize’ (not patented), ‘Grand Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Heavenly Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Ivory Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Lime Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Margaret Mary Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Opal Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Pearl Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Platinum Tiara’ (not patented), ‘Ribbon Tiara’ (not patented) and ‘Topaz Tiara’ (not patented).

All of the above have similar flower color and similar leaf shape with varying variegation, leaf colorations or other minor changes. The most similar cultivars with green leaf centers and white margins are: ‘Diamond Tiara’, ‘Ivory Tiara’, ‘Margaret Mary Tiara’, ‘Pearl Tiara’ and ‘Ribbon Tiara’. ‘Diamond Tiara’, ‘Margaret Mary Tiara’ and ‘Pearl Tiara’ all have thinner white margins than ‘Diamonds Are Forever’, and ‘Margaret Mary Tiara’ also has a more sinuate leaf margin compared to the flat margin of the new plant. ‘Ribbon Tiara’ has more yellow in the margin and much slower growing than the new plant. Hosta ‘Ivory Tiara’ is similar in having a wide white margin and leaves of thicker substance, but it is a mutation stemming from ‘Grand Tiara’ and not ‘Diamond Tiara’ as in the case of the new plant. ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ seems to have variegation with an intermediate color between the margin and the center that has more whitish-green segments than ‘Ivory Tiara’. ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ has a leaf thickness measured between the veins of fully expanded leaves of 0.0105″ compared to ‘Golden Tiara’ and ‘Diamond Tiara’ which have been measured at 0.0065″ to 0.0070″.

Hosta ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ differs from all these registered and unregistered cultivars known to the inventor in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Plant of small, compact, mound habit with upright to         gradually arching foliage.     -   2. Small elliptic to cordate leaves with dark green centers and         wide creamy white margins that develop into a white.     -   3. Numerous purple striped flowers held attractively above         foliage in mid-summer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the three-year old plant demonstrate the overall appearance of the near-mature plant, including the unique traits, grown in a partially-shaded trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, source, direction and temperature may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a whole plant in the early part of the growing season prior to flowering.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hosta ‘Diamonds Are Forever’, has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and specimen maturity, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of a three-year old plant in a trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. with 50% artificial shade, supplemental water and light fertilizer as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Hosta hybrid. -   Parentage: Whole plant mutation of Hosta ‘Diamond Tiara’ (not     patented). -   Propagation method: By sterile laboratory tissue culture propagation     and garden division. -   Growth rate: Moderate to rapid. -   Crop time: Summer growing 9 to 10 weeks to finish in a one-liter     container. -   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture about sixteen to eighteen     days. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant shape and habit.—Hardy, long-lived, herbaceous             perennial, densely rhizomatous, forming a radially             symmetrical mounded clump in maturity, with basal rosette of             leaves.         -   Roots.—Normal, fleshy, lightly branching, cream-colored in             normal soil.         -   Plant size.—Foliage height about 22.0 cm tall; width of             plant at the widest point is approximately 45 cm at the             widest point just above soil line. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf blade.—Cordate, entire margins, cordate leaf base with             acute apex, flat, mostly bilaterally symmetrical, without             sinuous or pie-crust margins, with only slightly impressed             veins; blade width to length ratio of about 1:1.25; average             about 8.0 cm wide and 10.0 cm long; glabrous; adaxial             surface glaucous, dull matte-finished late in growing             season, abaxial surface (bottom) slightly vitreous remaining             throughout growing season; margin variegation portion             increasing with age from ⅓ to nearly ½ total leaf width.         -   Blade color.—Early season as emerging adaxial center between             RHS 139A and RHS 139B, adaxial margin nearest RHS 158A,             intermediate colors of RHS 145C, nearest RHS N138D and             nearest RHS 148D in both long and small irregular patches             between the margin and center; early season as emerging             abaxial center nearest RHS N138B, abaxial margin between RHS             11C and RHS 11D, intermediate colors of between RHS 144A and             RHS 144B. Mid-season and later adaxial center between RHS             139A and darker than RHS 137A, margin white, lighter than             RHS 155D and large and small irregular intermediate patches             of whiter or lighter than RHS N138D, nearest RHS 144A, and             more green than RHS 191D and lighter than RHS 147D;             mid-season and later abaxial center nearest RHS 138A,             margins lighter or more white than RHS 155D and small             irregular intermediate patches of nearest RHS 145D and             lighter than RHS 147D.         -   Veins.—6 to 7 pairs of major parallel veins on either side             of one main center vein increasing with years of maturity;             nearly flat only slightly impressed.         -   Vein color.—Generally on early season and mid-season abaxial             and adaxial surfaces the same color as surrounding leaf             blade tissue in margin, center and intermediate patches.         -   Petioles.—Concavo-convex, glabrous, glaucous, upright to             arching; 10 to 12 cm long and about 0.6 cm wide measured at             2 cm above soil line.         -   Petiole color.—Adaxial and abaxial margins in early season             and mid to late season the same colors as blade leaf margins             for that period; adaxial center nearest RHS 144A and abaxial             center nearest RHS 139B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Buds.—Clavate, with acute apex and long thin base; one day             prior to opening about 6.0 cm long, and 1.5 cm wide at the             broadest portion and 4.0 mm wide at fused tube.         -   Bud color.—Nearest RHS 85D on fused tube portion with veins             of RHS 85C, veins darkening to nearest RHS 86B on distal end             with stripes of lighter than RHS 85D; 2.0 mm green apex             nearest RHS 138B.         -   Flowers.—12 to 20 per scape; each subtended by bract;             funnelform; opening to about 3.2 cm wide and 6.5 cm long,             (distal flowers slightly smaller); remain open for a normal             period, usually one to two days on or cut from plant;             persist dried on scape; scapes remain effective from             early-July into late-July in Zeeland, Mich.; no detectable             fragrance.         -   Tepals.—Two sets of three fused at the basal two thirds;             acute apex; margins entire; glabrous, approximately 6.5 cm             long and 1.5 cm wide.         -   Tepal color.—Abaxial inner and outer tepal sets color             nearest RHS N88D with three darker veins of nearest RHS N88B             extending proximally toward base of nearest RHS 85D; inner             tepal set with clear transparent margin of about 1.0 to 1.5             mm; adaxial inner and outer tepal sets center middle portion             nearest RHS 86C with three veins of nearest RHS 86A;             proximal adaxial color nearest RHS 85D.         -   Pedicel.—Rounded, glaucous, glabrous; about 9.0 mm long, 3.0             mm diameter; nearly horizontal, curved slightly downward             with age.         -   Pedicel color.—Between RHS 138D and RHS 139D.         -   Peduncle.—Cylindrical, glaucous, glabrous, unbranched;             usually one per division; nearly vertical with little or no             arching; about 4 mm diameter at base, about 40 cm tall.         -   Peduncle color.—Nearest RHS 139B.         -   Gynoecium.—Single. Style: about 6.5 cm long, 1.5 mm             diameter, curved upward at distal 1.5 cm; lighter (more             white) than RHS 11D the whole length. Stigma: rounded, 1 mm             to 2 mm in diameter; color nearest RHS 155D. Ovary: oval,             about 6 mm long and 3 mm diameter; color between RHS 145A             and RHS 145B.         -   Androecium.—Six. Filaments: six, about 1.0 mm in diameter             and 5.5 cm long, shorter than gynoecium; slightly curve             upward the proximal 1.0 mm; lighter than RHS 11D throughout.             Anthers: oblong; dorsifixed, versatile, dehiscing             longitudinal; about 3 mm long and 1 mm wide, color between             RHS N187B and RHS 187A. Pollen: elliptical, less than 0.1 mm             long, nearest RHS 13B.         -   Bracts.—Subtending each flower with one or two below             flowers, ovate to lanceolate, entire, glaucous, glabrous,             concavo-convex, widest at middle and tapering to acute apex,             sessile, clasping about ½ peduncle; protruding upward, about             60 degree angle from vertical at time of flower opening;             lowest bracts before flowers adpressed against peduncle,             about 1.5 mm long and 5.0 mm across; bracts subtending             flowers beginning proximally about 1.2 cm long and 6.0 mm             across decreasing distally; remaining green after flowers             drop.         -   Bract color.—Abaxial and adaxial center between RHS N138B             and RHS 139B; abaxial and adaxial margins 1.0 to 2.0 mm wide             nearest RHS 155D. -   Fruit: Tri-valved capsule; about 2.2 cm long and 5.5 mm diameter;     acute apex and rounded base; color as maturing between RHS 138A and     RHS 139B; dried color between RHS 161A and RHS 161B. -   Seeds: Flattened single-winged nutlet with amplified embryo at one     end; about 5.0 mm long, about 2.0 mm wide and about 1.0 mm thick at     embryo; about 18 seeds per capsule; color nearest RHS 202A. -   Disease and pest resistance: Disease or pest resistance beyond that     common to Hostas has not been observed. The new plant grows best     with light fertilizer, plenty of moisture and adequate drainage, but     is able to tolerate some flooding and drought when mature. Hardiness     at least from USDA zone 3 through 9. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct ornamental Hosta plant named ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ as herein described and illustrated suitable as a potted plant, for landscaping the garden en masse or as an accent, and for cut flower or leaf arrangements. 